Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research

Project1808’s Science and Leadership Festival (SciLeadFest): Shaping the Future of Youth in Sierra Leone Through STEEEAMM And Leadership

2026-05-20T12:31:35-04:00

Comparative Analysis of Renal Impairment in Positive and Negative HIV-Individuals at Kono Government Hospital, Sierra Leone

2026-05-20T14:39:33-04:00

Background: Non-communicable disease is of major concern affecting a significant portion of the global population, furthermore renal impairment is of great concern and has affected so many lives. It is a serious and gradual condition marked by the progressive deterioration of kidney function. In recent years, Renal impairment has emerged as a clinically relevant and significant issue. The aim of this study was to compare analysis of renal impairment in individuals with HIV, diabetes, and hypertension.

Methods: This was a cross-section quantitative study. It was conducted from June to September 2024. A total of Two Hundred and Seventy-Five (275) participants were selected using a consecutive sampling technique. Serum creatinine and CD4 counts were measured in HIV-positive individuals, and the eGFR was calculated using the CKD-Epi 2021 formula. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 16.

Results: Among the study population, 158 participants (57.5%) were HIV-positive, while 62 (39.2%) and 55 (34.8%) were HIV-negative individuals diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes, respectively. The overall prevalence of renal impairment was found to be 34.2% (n = 54) among HIV-positive individuals, 30.6% (n = 19) among hypertensive participants, and 38.2% (n = 21) among those with diabetes. Participants aged 31–40 years demonstrated a significantly higher likelihood of renal impairment (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 5.37; 95% CI: 2.414–12.489), as did those over 50 years (aOR = 4.93; 95% CI: 1.491–16.351). Among diabetic participants, older age was also significantly associated with renal impairment (aOR = 6.379; 95% CI: 1.129–36.060). Furthermore, hypertensive females were identified as having an increased risk of developing renal impairment.

Conclusion: The prevalence of renal impairment was notably high among the study participants. Increased age was linked to renal impairment, and also females within the hypertensive group.

Keywords: Renal Impairment, Diabetes, HIV-AIDS, Hypertension, eGFR.

Burden of Substance Abuse in Freetown, Sierra Leone and Its Implications for Public Health

2026-05-20T13:54:01-04:00

Background: Substance abuse is an escalating public health crisis in Freetown, Sierra Leone, contributing to profound socioeconomic costs, domestic violence, and a heightened risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, characterize the types of substances abused, and identify the sociodemographic drivers of substance abuse among residents in the Western, Central, and Eastern parts of the city.

Methods: A mixed-methods approach was utilized, incorporating qualitative and quantitative research designs. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and personal interviews with 50 randomly selected respondents. Participants were primarily targeted at high-risk locations, including ghettos, entertainment centers, and psychiatric facilities across Freetown.

Results: The most commonly abused substances were alcohol (80%) and kush (80%), followed closely by cigarettes (66%) and cannabis (64%). Less frequently used substances included tramadol (34%), cocaine (14%), heroin (10%), amphetamines (6%), and inhalants (2%). The demographic profile revealed that usage peaked among young adults aged 15–24. Furthermore, 80% of users were single, 50% were unemployed, and men abused substances at a higher rate than women. A staggering 100% of respondents noted a recent surge in both the variety of available substances and the number of users. Risky sexual behaviors were highly prevalent, with 65% reporting they never use condoms and 68% having no regular sexual partner, highlighting a severe risk for spreading STIs like HIV/AIDS. Additionally, only 18% of users had sought treatment for their substance use.

Conclusions: The trend of substance abuse in Freetown is on a massive increase, particularly among unemployed youth, driven by the domestic production and affordability of substances like cannabis, kush, and alcohol. These findings underscore an urgent need for multifaceted public health interventions. Critical recommendations include nationwide education campaigns, the enforcement of stringent anti-drug policies, enhanced parental oversight, and the establishment and strengthening of rehabilitation facilities to safeguard public health.

Key words: Substance abuse, Public health, Freetown, Sierra Leone, Kush, Youth unemployment, Sociodemographic drivers, Risky sexual behavior, Polysubstance use

Referral and consultation at the adult Endocrinology outpatient clinic: A cross-sectional study

2026-05-20T13:16:40-04:00

Background

Knowledge of the pattern of referrals to the Endocrinologist helps in optimizing care and allocating resources. However, there is a dearth of information about the endocrinology outpatient service in a private tertiary setting in sub-Saharan Africa. The study aims to bridge this gap.

Methods

It is a cross-sectional study. New referrals to an endocrinology clinic were analyzed over 16 months, and the outcomes of interest included the sociodemographics, waiting time, sources of referral, and diagnoses.

Results

The final sample size was 122. The age ranged between 18 and 87 years, and the median age was 55 years. Among the participants, 51.6% were males. The appointment wait time ranged between 0 and 48 days, and the median time was 7 days. Most of the referrals came from the general practitioner clinic (48.4%) and the Cardiology clinic (21.3%). Diabetes mellitus and thyroid diseases were the most commonly seen diagnoses in this study.

Conclusions

The burden of endocrine disorders is huge, mainly from diabetes and thyroid diseases, with referrals coming from different sections of the hospital and from other hospitals.

Keywords: referral and consultation, endocrine diseases, outpatient clinic, diabetes mellitus, thyroid diseases

The Political Ecology of Tree Logging for Timber in Koinadugu District, Northern Province, Sierra Leone

2026-05-20T14:08:03-04:00

Background: In rural Sierra Leone, particularly the northern Koinadugu District, commercial timber logging has rapidly expanded into a primary livelihood strategy. While economically significant, this booming trade raises severe ecological, climatic, and social anxieties among local populations. Despite these escalating changes, empirical research capturing how rural communities directly experience and perceive these shifts remains scarce. This study evaluates the socioeconomic and ecological impacts of timber extraction from the perspective of the communities living through them.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-methods study across Koinadugu District between November and December 2022. Quantitative data were gathered through structured questionnaires with community residents, complemented by qualitative key informant interviews with forestry officials and local authorities. Quantitative findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative insights were synthesized using thematic analysis to evaluate logging practices alongside community environmental shifts.

Results: Among the 261 participants surveyed (78.5% male), logging was universally recognized as a vital mechanism for economic survival, driven heavily by systemic poverty, structural unemployment, and a rising cost of living. However, these immediate financial gains coexist with severe localized crises. Environmentally, residents reported stark micro-climatic disruptions, including dropping rainfall levels, surging temperatures, recurrent droughts, deforested landscapes, and degraded soil structures. Socially, the trade correlates with alarming community challenges, including spikes in drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, robbery, accidents, and child labor. While participants value short-term job creation and business growth, they expressed deep distress over accelerating environmental damage and the weak enforcement of forest protection laws.

Conclusion: Timber logging in Koinadugu District functions as an immediate economic lifeline that simultaneously compromises the long-term environmental and social stability of rural communities. Resolving this friction requires a swift transition away from weak institutional oversight toward rigorous forest governance, strict legal enforcement of environmental boundaries, and the targeted investment in sustainable alternative livelihoods to reduce rural dependence on destructive logging.

Keywords: Timber logging; Deforestation; Climate change; Livelihood; Environmental degradation; Koinadugu District; Sierra Leone.

Caregivers’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards the use of Oral Rehydration Salt in Children with Diarrhoea: Insights from Ola During Children’s Hospital, Freetown, Sierra Leone

2026-05-20T13:27:48-04:00

Background: Diarrhoeal disease remains a significant global public health concern, ranking second only to pneumonia as a leading cause of mortality in children under the age of five. Simple home management of diarrhea using oral rehydration solution (ORS) could have prevented dehydration that accounts for 60-70% of deaths in children with diarrhea. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of child caregivers towards the use of oral rehydration salt in treating children with diarrhea.

Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted at the pediatrics general wards of Ola During Children’s hospital. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and was entered and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for IBM. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe descriptive data and the results were presented using tables and figures. The association between univariate factors and caregivers’ knowledge, attitude and practice towards the use of ORS in children, were evaluated using chi square or Fisher’s exact test as appropriate. The level of significance was set at p <0.05 in all the statistical analyses.

Results: A total of 120 caregivers participated in the study. From the total 120 caregivers, 98 (81.7%) of them had good knowledge, and almost half (53; 44.2%) had a good attitude about the use of Oral Rehydration Salt in children with diarrhea. Regarding their practice, 67 (55.8%) caregivers had good practice towards ORS use among their children having diarrhea.

Conclusion: The study found that while caregivers generally had good knowledge and practice regarding ORS use, their attitude was poor. Regular educational interventions should be implemented to enhance caregivers’ understanding of diarrhea management and the importance of ORS utilisation.

Keywords: Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Oral Rehydration Salt, Diarrhoea, Caregivers

Effects of Cigarette Smoking and Alcohol Consumption on Hepatorenal Indices

2026-05-20T12:59:34-04:00

Alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking aside has been documented to cause various harm to various organs, like the brain, heart, liver, and pancreas, it is also a known major risk factor for developing chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and several malignancies. However, their effects on renal and hepatic functions remain unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption on hepatorenal indices such as liver enzymes [Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT)] and renal indices (Urea, Creatinine). 160 subjects within Ilorin metropolis comprising of 40 smokers, 40 alcoholics, 40 alcoholic smokers and 40 controls were recruited for this cross-sectional study. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on their clinical history, and anthropometric data after the consent form was signed. Liver enzymes (ALP, AST, ALT, GGT) and renal indices (Urea, Creatinine) were determined spectrophotometrically using commercially prepared kits. However, the values for glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were calculated using Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study equations. A one-way ANOVA p-value of <0.05 was considered using SPSS 23.0 statistical package. ALP, ALT, AST, GGT, Urea and Creatinine were significantly elevated in smokers when compared with control (p<0.05), however, the eGFR level was reduced in smokers, alcoholics and alcoholic smokers when compared with controls (p<0.05).These findings shows that cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption have a deleterious effect on both renal and hepatic function indices, and suggest that they do these by promoting lipid peroxidation and thus induces oxidative stress.

Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, liver enzymes, renal indices, oxidative stress

Survey of Indigenous Methods for Prevention and Treatment of Respiratory Diseases and Their Prevalence in Western Area, Sierra Leone

2026-05-20T14:14:49-04:00

Background: Respiratory diseases impose a critical public health burden worldwide, disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where conventional healthcare infrastructure is frequently strained. In Sierra Leone, traditional phytotherapeutic and indigenous healing modalities remain foundational in managing respiratory conditions like cough, coryza (cold), asthma, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Despite the widespread reliance on these traditional practices, formal scientific documentation detailing their specific community utilization and prevalence remains scarce. This study evaluated the indigenous methods utilized for the prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections and assessed their prevalence, utilization patterns, and community perceptions within the Western Area of Sierra Leone.

Methods: Utilizing a mixed-methods, descriptive cross-sectional design, field data were gathered from six traditional herbalists and fifty community residents across the Western Area. Data collection comprised an integrated approach involving structured questionnaires, ethnobotanical interviews, direct field observations, and site visits. Quantitative variables were processed using descriptive statistics, reporting absolute frequencies and percentages to synthesize usage patterns.

Results: Demographic profiling showed a predominantly male workforce among the traditional healers (83.3% male vs. 16.7% female), whereas the community cohort displayed a more balanced gender distribution (58.0% male vs. 42.0% female). Ethnobotanical mapping identified a diverse matrix of complex remedies formulated from local flora and natural products, including brown rice, pure honey, cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaves, tamarind (Tamarindus indica) leaves, lime, garlic, moringa, and groundnuts. These preparations were actively deployed against both acute upper respiratory tract symptoms and severe lower respiratory conditions. While 100% of surveyed healers asserted the absolute safety and clinical efficacy of their remedies, a striking 88.0% of community respondents reported a primary reliance on these home-based or herbal interventions over conventional hospital-based care during respiratory episodes. This sustained community preference was driven by structural accessibility, financial affordability, deep cultural alignment, and rapid perceived symptomatic relief.

Conclusion: Indigenous medical practices are deeply integrated into the health-seeking behavior of residents in Western Area, Sierra Leone, frequently serving as the primary baseline for respiratory care. Although these remedies enjoy high community trust, rigorous pharmacological validation, toxicity profiling, and dosage standardization are urgently required to safeguard patient health. Establishing collaborative referral frameworks between traditional healers and formal medical channels could optimize national healthcare delivery and ensure the preservation of valuable ethnobotanical knowledge.

Keywords: Indigenous medicine; Phytotherapy; Respiratory tract infections; Traditional healers; Ethnobotany; Sierra Leone.

Biochemical Changes in Lipid Profile and Antioxidant Status in Pregnancy

2026-05-20T13:33:41-04:00

Pregnancy represents a multifaceted physiological phenomenon influenced by a variety of interrelated factors. The causes of abortion or pregnancy disruption are diverse, encompassing genetic, hormonal, environmental, and immunological elements. A comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to pregnancy loss is crucial for enhancing both maternal and fetal health outcomes. The progression of fetal development during pregnancy, along with the implications of childbirth, is closely associated with the maternal lipid profile and antioxidant levels. This investigation was prompted by an observed increase in pregnancy loss (abortion), pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, particularly among women in their second and third trimesters. A total of 50 women were recruited from two Primary Healthcare facilities in Akure, comprising 25 pregnant women (subjects) with normal pregnancies and 25 non-pregnant women of reproductive age (controls). The lipid profile (including Low-Density Lipoprotein-LDL, High-Density Lipoprotein-HDL, Total Cholesterol-TC, and Triacylglycerol-TAG), antioxidant status (measured by Glutathione Peroxidase activity-GPx), and lipid peroxidation (assessed through Malondialdehyde-MDA) were evaluated using analytical test kits on blood samples collected from participants. The findings revealed a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in lipid parameters—LDL, TAG, TC, and HDL—in the subjects compared to the control group. Additionally, GPx activity was significantly elevated (p < 0.05) in the subjects relative to the controls. MDA levels were also significantly higher in the subjects than in the control group. Furthermore, fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels were significantly (p < 0.05) elevated in the non-pregnant control group compared to the pregnant group. This study indicates the necessity of assessing the lipid profile and antioxidant levels in pregnant women to enhance pregnancy outcomes and decrease the rates of pregnancy loss.

Key words: - Lipid profile, Pregnancy, Antioxidant, Peroxidation, miscarriage, abortion

Factors influencing adolescent access to sexual and reproductive health services in Bo City Sierra Leone

2026-05-20T13:12:15-04:00

Background: Adolescents’ access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) services is essential for their overall health and well-being. However, in resource-limited settings such as Bo City, Sierra Leone, access remains constrained by socio-cultural norms, stigma, and weak healthcare infrastructure. This study applied Andersen’s Behavioral Model to examine factors influencing adolescents’ utilization of SRHR services in Bo City, focusing on barriers and facilitators to access.

Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 419 adolescents and young adults aged 15–24 years in Bo District. Participants were selected using simple random sampling, and data were collected through structured questionnaires assessing socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and SRHR service utilization. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations between Andersen model domains and SRHR service use.

Results: Findings revealed that 47.0% of respondents acquired SRHR knowledge through schools. Utilization of services was limited by structural barriers, including financial constraints and distance to facilities, and by social factors such as stigma and parental consent requirements. Adolescents aged 17–19 years were less likely to use SRHR services than those aged 20–24 years. Peer support and reduced stigma emerged as key facilitators of service utilization, while religion, education level, and parental support showed no significant association.

Conclusion: The study highlights the need for comprehensive interventions expanding youth-friendly services, strengthening education, raising community awareness, and reforming policies to enhance adolescent autonomy and equitable access to SRHR services in Sierra Leone.

Keywords:

Adolescents, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Barriers, Andersen’s Behavioral Model, Bo City.

A Rare Presentation of Prune Belly Syndrome in a Female Neonate: Case report and review of literature

2026-05-20T12:40:45-04:00

Prune Belly syndrome (PBS) is a rare congenital anomaly of uncertain etiology almost exclusive to males. There are variants of Prune Belly syndrome which are characterised by partial or unilateral hypoplasia of the abdominal wall muscles and may be associated with other malformations. These variants are described as incomplete or Pseudo Prune-Belly syndromes (PPBS). We report and discuss the case of a preterm female newborn, in whom clinical examination revealed deficient abdominal muscle, and she also had a soft systolic ejection murmur loudest over the pulmonic area. Abdominal ultrasound scan demonstrated no urinary tract anomalies; the presence of atria septal defect was confirmed on echocardiogram, and she had normal kidney function test results. She was referred to the paediatric surgical department and had follow-up cardiologist visits.

Keywords: Pseudo prune belly syndrome; Abdominal wall laxity; Atria Septal Defect; Female; Neonate